XII. The Attack by Fire

15. Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in
his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is
waste of time and general stagnation.

Commanders do not
have a monopoly on ideas and innovation. There is much to be gained
from the ingenuity of their people.

This is a lesson that leaders
continue to learn (and maybe not learn or re-learn) even today. Successful
businesses leverage the talents of their people and do not assume
that seniority equates with wisdom, omniscience and genius.

Impoverished leaders manage by fear, leading to subordinates that
blindly obey commands. Better is to have followers who implement the
commander's intent with passion and commitment.

16. Hence the saying: The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the
good general cultivates his resources.

To gain the spirit
and action of enterprise requires the leader to actively encourage
it and not (as many do) coldly suppress it.

Cultivating resources
also includes drawing out all kinds of talents from your people,
from spying to devising new and cunning strategies and tactics.

People learn what their leaders really want. Saying 'innovate' is
like saying 'be spontaneous' -- it does not work. Better is to
create the climate and culture that develops talent and focuses it
in places where it will be most effective.